Third Anglo-Afghani War
The '''Third Anglo-Afghani War '''was a conflict between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the British Raj, with the United Kingdom only able to send a single division, as they were occupied elsewhere following the global instability following the Great War. The Opposing Forces In 1919 the Afghan regular army was not a very formidable force and was only able to muster some 50,000 men. These men were organised into 21 cavalry regiments and 75 infantry battalions, with about 280 modern artillery pieces, organised into 70 batteries, in support. In addition to this, however, in a boost to the army's strength, the Afghan command could call upon the loyalty of up to 80,000 frontier tribesmen and an indeterminate number of deserters from local militia units under British command. In support of the regulars, the Afghan command expected to call out the tribes, which could gather up to 20,000 or 30,000 fighters in the Khyber region alone. In stark contrast to the regulars, the tribal lashkars were probably the best troops that the Afghans had, being of excellent fighting quality, well armed, mainly with weapons that they had made themselves or stolen from the garrisons and with plenty of ammunition. In meeting this threat, the British could call on a much larger force. In May 1919, the British and British Indian Army, not including frontier militia, totalled ten divisions, and three divisions of cavalry. But the main problem for the British was discontent among their soldiers. The troops in India were no longer as uncritical as they had been when considering what they were being asked to do. Like other units of the British Army many of the troops considered the war over and looked forward to being demobilised. The Indian Army had been heavily committed to the First World War and had suffered a large number of casualties. Many of its units still had not returned from overseas, and those that had, began the process of demobilisation and as such many regiments had lost almost all their most experienced men. Furthermore, the British Army was suffering a morale collapse after the events of Bloody Vaisakhi, which led to the questionable appointment of Reginald Dyer to hold the Khyber Pass. Opening phase of the War The Afghan offensive began very well, as many British militia units were preoccupied with a planned uprising in Peshawar. The British gave up control of many mountain passes but still held Khyber Pass, the gate to India. However, even this was uncertain, as Sir Reginald Dyer was in command of the Pass, with a large portion of Sikhs in his forces. Sir Dyer was despised by the Sikhs, as he was the leader of the troops which opened fire on innocent civilians during the Amritsar Massacre, earning him the nickname 'The Butcher of Amritsar' among his troops. Battle of Kyber Pass The Battle of Khyber Pass was the seminal moment in the war, as it allowed the Afghan Army into India proper. The British were racked by morale issues, tribal raids, and dour news that the Peshawar uprising was growing in strength did not help. On the 13th of May, the bulk of the Afghan army attacked after dawn prayers. Unexpecting such a fast offensive, Sir Dyer was forced to detach several smaller units to hold back the Afghans, which would allow him time to consolidate his army. This failed miserably, as many simply surrendered to the Afghans or died in vain. Following this, the murmurs that rumbled through the camp roared into life, as units mutinied, demanding Dyer's head, and their demobilization. The Afghans also reached the main forts around this time. Faced with the dual threat of Afghans and Sikh rebels, Dyer gambled, sending the bulk of his forces to attack the Afghans in the hope that a victory would remoralise his troops. This backfired, as the Afghan forces were the more mobile tribesmen, not the slower standing army. The tribesmen smashed Dyer's force, leaving hundreds dead with every charge. The mutiny nearly trebled in strength after this, and Dyer was forced to withdraw with almost three-quarters of his 2000 men dead, wounded or in open rebellion. The Afghans also suffered heavy losses, with almost 700 tribesmen lost. Latter stages of the War After the Battle of Khyber Pass, the Afghan army sacked many villages in Peshawar, and captured the city itself in early June. Minor skirmishes occurred in favour of the British, but the Afghan army could not be displaced. In late July, the army arrived at Rawalpindi, the northern military capital, and began to lay siege. Another memorable moment of the war occurred on the 1st of September, when a lost Afghan raiding party struck the outskirts of Delhi, sending mass panic through the city. Faced with a potential collapse of the entire northern half of India, an offer of peace was made. Treaty of Takht-e-Nasarati The treaty was signed on the 25th of September and stated that: * Afghanistan is to be a free and soverign nation, capable of conducting her own military and diplomatic affairs. * Afghanistan was to receive control of the North-West Frontier Provinces, which are to remain demobilized for a period of 20 years after the treaty is signed. * In return, the Afghan government must pay the British Raj an indemnity of 15,000 rupees (5,000 pounds) yearly for the transfer of land. * Finally, the British Raj is recognised to be the protector of all Muslims in India and secures their rights, freedoms, and powers. Aftermath The defeat cost the British dearly in terms of pride. Questions were raised as to if the Lion could protect her empire after a devastating war. However, more immediate concerns were the mutinies by the Punjabi troops, which the British responded to with the carrot rather than the stick. After the executions of the mutineers, Dyer was dismissed, and Sikhs began to receive protections and privileges. The British realised that they were very much a minority in India, and sought allies in their new precarious position. Category:Conflicts